Rugby: East Kilbride's winning run ended by league leaders Carrick

East Kilbride couldn't break down Carrick on Saturday (Image: East Kilbride News)

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Carrick..24 East Kilbride...9

At first glance a scoreline showing top of the league Carrick running in four unanswered tries at home against fourth in the table East Kilbride would suggest a comfortable victory for the high-flying Ayrshire side.

However, this would not be an entirely accurate or fair assessment of the contest.

While Carrick were good value for their win, they pretty much took the only four chances they had and defended brilliantly to frustrate an East Kilbride side very much holding the edge in terms of both possession and territory.

EK kicked well in the first period to maintain pressure on the home line but were denied by strong and sure tackling.

Twice Carrick pounced on errors and twice they crossed the whitewash to lead 12-3 at the break.

The pattern was repeated in the second period, EK putting the ball in behind the Carrick defence and profited from this tactic to reduce the deficit to 12-9.

With the visitors in the ascendancy there looked to be only one winner but again mistakes were made and Carrick capitalised.

Aside from the degree of foot-shooting which resulted in tries coming from EK errors, the visitors did not do themselves too many favours with a one-dimensional approach.

Hit-ups from Paul Rosie and Scott Shankie up front were well marshalled by the Carrick forwards.

Scott Shankie in action for EK

Power runners were unable to break through on their own and struggled to off-load to supporting colleagues as textbook tackling brought them to ground immediately.

This led to stop-start attacking which allowed the Carrick defence to reset and hold their defensive patterns.

Ultimately, a decent enough performance from East Kilbride that should have yielded a greater return.

EK were without key men Roddy Beaton, Graham Blackwood and Callum Simpson as their four-game winning run came to an end, but EK boss Allan Steel refused to blame that for the defeat.

He said: “We were meant to have the weekend off due to the Six Nations, so players had booked trips to see the game or go away on holiday.

“Roddy has been our go to line-out option and Callum has been a stand out at the back for us in the last few games, scoring a lot of tries.

“So it upset the rhythm of the squad, but that’s not an excuse for losing the game because the team we took down there were still capable of winning the game.

“Both sides showed their qualities in defending, but they had a bit more quality available to them in the back and I think that was the difference on the day.

East Kilbride boss Allan Steel

“They shifted the ball out at pace and were very clinical with the few chances they created.

“They were slicker than us, but I’m happy with the effort the players put in on a heavy pitch.

“Carrick are arguably the best team in the league and at 60 minutes we were 12-9 down and still in the game. I thought if we kept working away, eventually we would get a wee break but it didn’t come.

“We didn’t have an answer to break through and the better team won on the day.”

This Saturday EK, who remain in fourth spot in West Division One, host Greenock on league duties, no doubt buoyed by the support of 75 guests from Chalons-sur-Marne in town for the latest iteration of the Entente Cordiale, South Lanarkshire style.